· The country's minority population now tops 100 million, or one-third of all U.S. residents.

The Census Bureau said yesterday that 100.7 million people in the United States are from racial or cultural minorities, up from 98.3 million in July 2005.

The new total is higher than the populations of all but 11 countries.

Island A, Island B . . .

· Indonesia has so many islands that officials haven't been able to count them all. Officials are also having trouble finding enough names.

The Southeast Asian country has about 17,500 islands, but that number could drop if sea levels rise from global warming, one official has warned. Before that can happen, the country is undertaking a detailed survey this year, trying to count and name all of its islands.

More than half are not named, and fewer than half have people living on them.

Can You See Me Now?

· A 19-year-old orangutan in Malaysia this week became the first great ape to have cataract eye surgery. The 2 1/2 -hour operation should help the animal see better, doctors said.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens. Severe cataracts, like the ones Aman the orangutan had, can cause blindness.